Dundalk vs Shelbourne explained: the release driving the conversation

It's the start of a very busy month as Dundalk welcome Joey O'Brien's Shelbourne to Oriel Park on Friday night (kick-off: 7.45pm). Dundalk vs Shelbourne has emerged this Friday as one of the stories drawing attention in Ireland.

Key facts

• It's the start of a very busy month as Dundalk welcome Joey O'Brien's Shelbourne to Oriel Park on Friday night (kick-off: 7.45pm).
• Dundalk will be hoping to respond following their 2-0 defeat last Saturday night to Sligo Rovers.
• Shelbourne are also hoping to bounce back after their 4-3 defeat to Drogheda United in Tolka Park last weekend.Ciaran Kilduff Comments "We obviously made a very positive start to the season and had been on a good run before last Saturday night’s defeat, which was our fi.
• Shelbourne FC face a double header over the May Bank Holiday weekend, with a trip to Dundalk FC at Oriel Park on Friday night before returning to Dublin on Monday to take on Bohemian FC at Dalymount in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division.
• Dundalk have already beaten Shelbourne this season, winning 3-2 at Tolka Park in early April, after which Joey O’Brien described the performance as their worst of the season.

What we know

Going deeper, Dundalk will be hoping to respond following their 2-0 defeat last Saturday night to Sligo Rovers.

On the substance, Shelbourne are also hoping to bounce back after their 4-3 defeat to Drogheda United in Tolka Park last weekend.Ciaran Kilduff Comments "We obviously made a very positive start to the season and had been on a good run before last Saturday night’s defeat, which was our fi.

Beyond the headlines, Shelbourne FC face a double header over the May Bank Holiday weekend, with a trip to Dundalk FC at Oriel Park on Friday night before returning to Dublin on Monday to take on Bohemian FC at Dalymount in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division.

More precisely, Dundalk have already beaten Shelbourne this season, winning 3-2 at Tolka Park in early April, after which Joey O’Brien described the performance as their worst of the season.

It is worth noting that For Shelbourne, this is one of those weekends, writes Eoin Doyle.

By the numbers

At this stage, Shels had been winning 2-0 at half-time, but Drogheda found a way back, with Shelbourne’s vulnerability from balls into the box again exposed.

On a related note, Kick off on Friday night in Oriel Park is at 7:45pm, […].

Going deeper, their 4-3 defeat to Drogheda last weekend summed up the frustration.

On the substance, they have spells during the 90 minutes when they dominate so well.

The wider context

On a related note, We have to try to get back to our positive ways against a really good Shelbourne team, who are more than capable of producing a big performance on any given night.

Going deeper, a Friday night game, followed by a Monday evening, and suddenly the LOI table can look completely different by the time people are dragging themselves back into work on Tuesday morning.

On the substance, there are certain weekends in a League of Ireland season that feel bigger than others.

Beyond the headlines, they go to Oriel Park this evening to face Dundalk, then turn around quickly for Bohemians on Monday.

More precisely, I don't think anybody would have predicted, a third of the way into the campaign, that Shelbourne would be eight points behind tonight’s opposition.

The bottom line

• A Friday night game, followed by a Monday evening, and suddenly the LOI table can look completely different by the time people are dragging themselves back into work on Tuesday morning.
• There are certain weekends in a League of Ireland season that feel bigger than others.
• They go to Oriel Park this evening to face Dundalk, then turn around quickly for Bohemians on Monday.